LaPorta recommended, and the council agreed, to start a 60-day demolition clock on the deteriorating Venice Arena.

If it is not brought up to code within that time frame — a project that would take years and cost millions — the city is poised to tear down the 1959-built structure where the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus spent more than two decades performing.

After the circus left in 1991, the arena was leased to a production company. It has been vacant since 2000.

While city officials focused on safety concerns, no one denies that the Venice Arena is an eyesore. The building sits on one of the most visible and potentially lucrative underdeveloped tracts on Venice Island.

Proposals for redevelopment are expected to surface if the city follows through with demolition.

It's not the first time Venice has wanted to raze the building.

Demolition was first broached in 2001, after the City Council evicted the last tenant.

In 2010 demolition was again imminent — but the pleadings of the Venice Circus Arts Foundation persuaded city leaders to hold off.

The foundation has been trying on and off for a decade to save the building.

On Tuesday, a foundation leader again pleaded for more time to save the 5,100-seat arena.

"This is not just a building; it's history," said Orlando Bevington, the foundation's executive director. "It's where the circus went from the big top to an arena."

He said the group just finished a feasibility study showing that the arena could be an economic engine for the city attracting sporting events, concerts and trade shows.

The foundation has been raising money and trying to stop the building from deteriorating, but the city owns the arena.

And with LaPorta's "unsafe building" citation, the city in essence put itself on notice that it needs to bring the building up to code or take it down.

A majority of council members questioned the feasibility of saving the building.

Calling it "heartbreaking," council member Jeanette Gates said it is "negligent on the city's part" to leave the arena up.

The "unsafe building" citation came up unexpectedly.

The council agenda called for LaPorta to give an update on the status of the arena. He showed the council a slide presentation of the arena, with gaping holes in the roof and sunlight streaming through.

City Manager Ed Lavalee, who has been on the job for less than a year, said the city was sprucing up the nearby festival grounds and he asked LaPorta to inspect the arena.

"The public is at risk here," Lavalee said.

He said the foundation has failed to "reach benchmarks" that the city gave it in 2010 to raise money and come up with a plan.

The city planned to demolish the building and had $250,000 in the budget to do it. The council then agreed to give the foundation three years to come up with a plan and raise money.

Bevington said the group has about $50,000 and over the years has tried to stop the building from deteriorating.

It removed about 20 tons of debris, painted parts of the building and performed some repairs to the roof. He said the city revoked its permit to continue with roof repairs.

"They stopped us," Bevington said.

At Tuesday's meeting, the council gave staff two weeks to come up with a plan to come into compliance with the city's own code.

<p><em>VENICE</em> - It's history and it's emotional, because for decades the world's top circus performers wintered here, practiced here and wowed locals before taking the greatest show on earth on tour.</p><p>But the Venice Arena is also a derelict building sitting on five acres at the southern gateway to the city, and it has been deteriorating for more than a decade.</p><p>On Tuesday, the City Council signaled that it's ready to tear the old circus arena down.</p><p>"I know it's an emotional issue," said Building and Code Enforcement Director Vince LaPorta. "It's an unsafe, dangerous building." </p><p>LaPorta recommended, and the council agreed, to start a 60-day demolition clock on the deteriorating Venice Arena. </p><p>If it is not brought up to code within that time frame — a project that would take years and cost millions — the city is poised to tear down the 1959-built structure where the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus spent more than two decades performing.</p><p>After the circus left in 1991, the arena was leased to a production company. It has been vacant since 2000.</p><p>While city officials focused on safety concerns, no one denies that the Venice Arena is an eyesore. The building sits on one of the most visible and potentially lucrative underdeveloped tracts on Venice Island. </p><p>Proposals for redevelopment are expected to surface if the city follows through with demolition.</p><p>It's not the first time Venice has wanted to raze the building.</p><p>Demolition was first broached in 2001, after the City Council evicted the last tenant. </p><p>In 2010 demolition was again imminent — but the pleadings of the Venice Circus Arts Foundation persuaded city leaders to hold off.</p><p>The foundation has been trying on and off for a decade to save the building.</p><p>On Tuesday, a foundation leader again pleaded for more time to save the 5,100-seat arena.</p><p>"This is not just a building; it's history," said Orlando Bevington, the foundation's executive director. "It's where the circus went from the big top to an arena."</p><p>He said the group just finished a feasibility study showing that the arena could be an economic engine for the city attracting sporting events, concerts and trade shows. </p><p>The foundation has been raising money and trying to stop the building from deteriorating, but the city owns the arena. </p><p>And with LaPorta's "unsafe building" citation, the city in essence put itself on notice that it needs to bring the building up to code or take it down. </p><p>A majority of council members questioned the feasibility of saving the building. </p><p>Calling it "heartbreaking," council member Jeanette Gates said it is "negligent on the city's part" to leave the arena up.</p><p>The "unsafe building" citation came up unexpectedly.</p><p>The council agenda called for LaPorta to give an update on the status of the arena. He showed the council a slide presentation of the arena, with gaping holes in the roof and sunlight streaming through. </p><p>City Manager Ed Lavalee, who has been on the job for less than a year, said the city was sprucing up the nearby festival grounds and he asked LaPorta to inspect the arena. </p><p>"The public is at risk here," Lavalee said. </p><p>He said the foundation has failed to "reach benchmarks" that the city gave it in 2010 to raise money and come up with a plan. </p><p>The city planned to demolish the building and had $250,000 in the budget to do it. The council then agreed to give the foundation three years to come up with a plan and raise money.</p><p>Bevington said the group has about $50,000 and over the years has tried to stop the building from deteriorating. </p><p>It removed about 20 tons of debris, painted parts of the building and performed some repairs to the roof. He said the city revoked its permit to continue with roof repairs.</p><p>"They stopped us," Bevington said.</p><p>At Tuesday's meeting, the council gave staff two weeks to come up with a plan to come into compliance with the city's own code.</p><p>"It's our problem; we need to act on it," said Vice Mayor Bob Daniels.</p><p>EARLIER: The city's top building official this morning gave the city 60 days to bring the Circus Arena up to code or demolish it.</p><p>"It's an unsafe, dangerous building," said Building and Code Enforcement Director. Vince LaPorta. He said the roof has deteriorated and the condition puts the city at risk for lawsuits.</p><p>The Venice Circus Arts Foundation, a non-profit group trying to save the building for five years, pleaded for time. The arena is the former home of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.</p><p><i>Check back at heraldtribune.com for updates on this breaking news story.</i></p>